MUSCATINE, Iowa — For a few moments, let’s discuss obituaries.
In case you didn’t already know, obituaries are often:
1. Among the most-read stories on just about every newspaper website.
2. Published as paid content in most newspapers, which get a pretty good chunk of revenue for publishing this information.
But what I’m wondering is: Unless your family wants to have an actual clipping out of a newspaper as a keepsake, why pay to publish an obit in a newspaper?
Just about every funeral home publishes obits on its website these days. Granted those sites don’t drive nearly as much traffic as a newspaper website.
But this is just one of the many instances where social media will only continue to threaten newspapers. Using Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest — you probably have figured out where I’m headed with this — family members can spread the word about the death of a loved one, when and where the funeral will be held and how to make donations to a memorial.
I’m here to help those who aren’t comfortable using social media. I’ve set up a Pinterest board where I will link each day to the obituaries published by area funeral homes on their websites. You can find a permanent link to this site at the Community News and Events tab at the top of the blog’s home page. I’ll also try to include a link to it in whatever else I post every day.
Have a question or feedback? Post it here or contact me at cs.iowaboy@yahoo.com or on Twitter @CSteinbach
Quote of the day: There is no substitute for hard work. — Thomas A. Edison, American inventor (1847-1931)
Brome Hill 